ZIMBABWE National Liberation War Veterans’ Association (ZNLWVA) chief Jabulani Sibanda has revealed that the organisation is working hard to secure compensation for members who were not in the country between 1980 and October 1997 when lump sum payments were made to veterans of the liberation struggle.
LUYANDUHLOBO MAKWATI OWN CORRESPONDENT
Sibanda also said members who died during the same period without claiming the money would be entitled to the compensation which would be paid out to their children.
“We are yet to convene as the national executive to discuss such issues. We are looking forward to resolve this issue and we hope the government will take it into consideration,” Sibanda said.
Sibanda said the organisation would assist all those who were not compensated, but had their names compiled in registers of all call-up and detention camps.
“As the chairman, we are working towards that and once we are done we will then send our requests to the relevant ministry. We hope our plea will not fall on deaf ears,” Sibanda said.
He also said ZNLWVA would assist families of war veterans who did not receive compensation, but have children of school going age, to ensure they got proper education.
“The Defence ministry is working hard to make sure funds are released from the Finance ministry to pay fees for children of war veterans countrywide. In the past we faced problems because these funds were taking too long to be made available.
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“We hope this time around they shall be released because this affects the performance of students at school,” Sibanda said.
He also quashed rumours being spread by some elements that the government will pay war veterans an extra $8 000 as a shortfall to the Z$50 000 they each received in 1997.
Some war veterans have allegedly been saying the government promised them the extra $8 000 because the compensation they received in 1997 was not enough.
Sibanda refuted the claims saying as far as he was concerned, there was nothing of that sort.
“As far as I know, I am not aware of such a thing since this rumour has been circulating. I would like to advise war veterans that there is nothing of that sort. We are still to sit down as the national executive to address other issues, but not this one,” Sibanda added.
In 1997, the war veterans demanded and were awarded a Z$50 000 gratuity each, triggering a decade-long recession in Zimbabwe. That led to the controversial and chaotic land reform programme in 2000.
